2017 AWEP participants in the home goods and crafts sub-group volunteering at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

On Monday, July 10, 2017 Meridian International Center was honored to welcome the participants of the 2017 African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) in Chicago, Illinois. 30 international visitors representing 27 nations from across Africa converged on Chicago to open their program and examine the principles of successful entrepreneurship. Launched in 2010 in conjunction with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), AWEP addresses topics such as U.S. business practices and African access to U.S. markets; integrating African women into the global economy; and funding access for commercial expansion in Africa. Leading actors in economic development and social advocacy in their home communities, the program’s alumnae have created thousands of jobs and established more than 20 women’s business associations across the Sub-Saharan region. Meridian is proud to work with the U.S. Department of State’s IVLP to implement this program. Read more about the impacts of AWEP on the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State website here.

While in Chicago, the entrepreneurs received a briefing on the U.S. federalist system of government, were inspired by a keynote address on women's entrepreneurship from YJT Solution's Founder and CEO Ms. Linda Maclachlan, and spoke with Luxe Bloom's Founder and CEO Ms. Shelley Rosen about her path to entrepreneurship. After an intensive Communications and Marketing workshop facilitated by Think, Inc., the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to share their work in an AWEP Product Showcase where they displayed their wares for a lively Chicago audience.

On the following day the participants were split into their respective sectors including Agriculture, Fashion, and Home Goods/Craft and sent to their respective "city-splits'. The itinerary will take them to cities including respectively Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; New Orleans, LA; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Each of these sectors will reunite for a few days of programming in New York, New York. A separate group of North African participants will be travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles, California and Miami, Florida before reconvening with the rest of the entrepreneurs in Washington, DC.

In Washington, the entrepreneurs learned how to sustain AWEP chapters that had formed through the program, secure capital with guidance from Ms. Stephenie Foster of Smash Strategies, and utilize best practices for business branding from Ms. Rahama Wright of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, LLC. They were also able to discuss relations between their nations and the U.S. with State Department officials and meet with Congressmember Karen Bass (Democrat - California, 7th District) to learn about AGOA. On Thursday, July 27th, the participants took part in an "Access to Capital" workshop session that included small group discussions with experts from the SBA, USAID, and the World Bank among others. Later that day, Meridian hosted a product showcase on its campus, and the photos can be seen here. Following a closing session the next day, the visitors returned home to apply what they had learned to their own work.

2017 AWEP participants in the home goods sub-group taking a tour of Greenheart Shop in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants in the agriculture sub-group serve meals Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist Church of Seattle in Seattle, Washington

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants in the agriculture sub-group serve meals Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist Church of Seattle in Seattle, Washington

Bob Egger (co-owner of The Pumpkin Patch), Mboka Mwanitu KAGUBILA from Tanzania talking with Safietou KANE from Mauritania about her rice distribution company and the nutritional benefits of pumpkins in Portland, Oregon

AWEP NEA RP participants take part in a panel at SIMPLY in Los Angeles, CA

2017 AWEP participants in the home goods and crafts sub-group volunteering at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

AWEP NEA RP participants take a photo at SIMPLY in Los Angeles, CA

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

Photo collage from the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

AWEP NEA RP participants take a tour of the Augustin Gainza Arts and Tavern in Miami, FL

2017 AWEP participants take a group photo at the conclusion of their program opening in Chicago, Illinois to 2017 AWEP participants with Ms. Linda Maclachlan, Founder and CEO of YJT Solutions, in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants in the agriculture sub-group serve meals Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist Church of Seattle in Seattle, Washington

2017 AWEP participants from North Africa take a group photo at Meridian

AWEP NEA RP participants take a group photo at the Miami Fashion Institute in Miami, FL

2017 AWEP participants listening intently at a professional meeting in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP Participants take part in an Access to Capital workshop

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants in the home goods sub-group learning about the Greenheart Shop in Chicago, Illinois

AWEP NEA RP participant Faiza from Algeria shows her line to the African fashion networking panel at Continent Creative

2017 AWEP participants in the agriculture sub-group serve meals Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist Church of Seattle in Seattle, Washington

2017 AWEP participants showing off their products at the Chicago Product Showcase in Chicago, Illinois

2017 AWEP participants in the home goods and crafts sub-group volunteering at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico